Love at First Punch
by nokhnia
Summary: RedQueen drabble inspired by Tumblr. The title was the prompt. Regina and Killian are at a bar (BROTP). She keeps getting distracted by the hot bouncer. M for language and booze.


**Love at First Punch**

Regina stared moodily into her too-warm beer, wondering what had possessed her when she'd agreed to be Killian's wingman.

Give the man credit: he was a generous drinking partner. He was also her only coworker she hadn't yet wanted to stab, and judging from the handful of leggy brunettes she'd seen walk through the revolving door of his love life, they had the same taste in women, too. She respected him for these things.

It was just his choice of venue she was starting to question.

This place. Twenty-five percent underage college kids, twenty-five percent young professionals, fifty percent fucking hipsters. The floor was supersaturated with spilled drinks. The pounding music wasn't worth the hearing loss. Everyone had been given glowsticks when they walked in, and some genius had cracked theirs open and written neon obscenities across the bar where she and Killian were sitting. All in all she was feeling too old for this shit and too gay for this crowd. But at least the drinks were coming free.

And she _was_ enjoying the bouncer.

Not the six-and-a-half foot tall strongman who'd checked their IDs on the way in; he was terrifying. Rather, the young woman standing guard at the exit, black jeans slung low and loose on her hips and black shirt clinging snugly to her athletic build. She was respectably tall herself. Her long dark hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, and her bored but vaguely amused expression perfectly mirrored Regina's own feelings.

Ex-military, Regina was thinking. Had to be—that, or something of equal fortitude. Female bouncers were rare at places like this. They saw no end of bullshit.

The woman turned her steely gaze their way. Regina held it for a moment—let her see she'd been looking, who gave a fuck—then dropped her eyes and ducked back into her drink. She immediately cursed herself. Had she really just backed down from a staring contest? That kind of surrender wasn't in her nature, not for the big things in life, and not for these little things either. But, in her defense, the woman was her own kind of terrifying. There was an easy confidence in her relaxed stance, like a predator at rest. You had to wonder how she'd gotten here.

She peeked up. Shit. The woman was still watching them. Regina quickly turned to Killian.

"_Hey, Captain_," she hissed. This was what they called him in the office, to add meaning to their lives. "The hot bouncer's checking you out."

Killian raised an eyebrow, draining his whiskey. "Who, Lucas?"

"That's her name?"

"Her last name. It's what she goes by. More intimidating than her first name."

"Which is?"

"Someone's curious."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "I'm here for you, asshole."

He chuckled and signaled the bartender. "Ruby."

_Ruby. _An unusual name. Too soft for the girl in the corner. Regina could see why, like a real ruby, she kept it hidden away at night.

"How do you know her?" Regina persisted. The beer was making her chatty; she'd been drinking long enough now that it was starting to taste good.

"Just from coming here. And from what I can tell, it's probably _you _she's checking out."

Regina didn't need to hear this.

Killian started in on his second drink, watching Regina watching the bouncer. She saw him grin out the corner of her eye.

"What the hell are you smiling about?" she demanded.

"Go talk to her."

"I don't see you talking to anybody."

He spread his arms expansively. "The ladies will come to me."

"Right. I'll believe it when I see it."

And then, at that moment, a striking woman in a leather dress sidled up next to him. Killian gave her his full attention.

_Great. _

Regina turned and scanned the room, forcing herself not to linger on Ruby Lucas. There was a fine line between tasteful interest and stalker staring, and she would never be anything short of tasteful, even in this shitshow.

Killian had no such reservations. He and his new friend were now making out enthusiastically over the bar. Regina let out a disgusted sigh and finished her drink. Maybe she _would_ go talk to Ruby. What did she have to lose? She certainly wasn't coming back. Besides, there was a certain part of her that wanted to show the woman she wasn't so easily cowed.

But when Regina looked up, Ruby was no longer there. Another bouncer was in her place, some man with a bull nose piercing. Regina searched the room with growing distress.

"Killian—"

"Little busy right now, Reggie," he mumbled.

Alright. Her services were clearly no longer required. Regina gathered her belongings. If the bouncer had only just left, it might not be too late to catch her. She muttered some excuse to Killian and found the exit.

It was a warm night out. The streets were crowded. _Damn_. The woman would be impossible find.

But then, Regina realized, she probably wouldn't be out here. She would've used some employee entrance in the back. It was worth a shot. If she was wrong, Regina would just give up, go home, and have a nice quiet box of wine. Or throw herself off the bridge. Either was preferable to going back in.

She ducked down a side alley, side-stepping a puddle of questionable origin. Yes, there was the back door to the club. One of the bartenders was having a smoke. And a little further ahead, dressed in all-black, walking away with a long, easy stride—

It was her.

Regina picked up her pace, jogging to catch up to the taller woman. She reached up and gently touched her shoulder.

"Hey—"

Blinding pain exploded across her jaw. She stumbled backwards, clutching the side of her face and struggling not to fall over as her vision swam. Had the other woman just—_punched_ her? What the _hell_?

"_Fuck_," Ruby said, ripping earbuds out of her ears. She rushed over and held Regina up. "I'm so sorry. I swear that was just reflex. You surprised me. Shouldn't have had my headphones in. _Fucking idiot,_" she continued to berate herself. "Are you okay?"

"You have a hell of a right hook."

Ruby swore. "Here, let me see how bad it is." She lifted Regina's chin with a surprisingly gentle touch, long fingers just grazing the fresh bruise. A chill shuddered down Regina's skin. Ruby studied her intently. Her eyes were gunmetal gray. God.

"Were you a medic in the army?" Regina asked. Talking hurt, but it wasn't impossible. That was a good sign. She realized she'd never actually been punched before, though she was sure a good many people had been tempted.

Ruby's mouth tugged up in a grin at the question. "Nah, just another grunt with a gun. How'd you know I was military?"

"Lucky guess." Regina lifted up the dog tags hanging just below the other woman's heart. "These helped. _Lucas._"

"Cheater," Ruby chuckled. "What were you even doing back here?"

"Looking for you." Ruby's smile faded, and her eyes met Regina's. This time Regina held her gaze.

Ruby licked her lips. "Your boyfriend lets you wander around dark alleys by yourself?"

"Not my boyfriend. Just a coworker. I came for moral support."

Her face dawned with sudden understanding. "I was trying to figure out how someone as classy as you ended up in this shithole. You don't really fit the profile."

"Neither do you," Regina said, raising an eyebrow.

"Girl's gotta eat." She had stopped inspecting Regina's face, but her hand lingered. "Listen—"

"Regina," she supplied.

"Regina." She smiled at the taste of the name. "Let me give you a ride home. I feel like an asshole."

"You have a car?"

"A bike. That okay?"

Regina had to keep herself from laughing. Was it _okay. _

"I've never been on a motorcycle before," she warned.

Ruby's half-grin returned. "Then let's fix that."

She wrapped a supportive arm around Regina's shoulder and led them away.


End file.
